don't want to supplement formula.

C

chosun

Registered User
Dear all

I have a 6- week daughter and I have been going through breastfeeding trauma since her birth. I have read the threads abt feeding baby, but find no specific advice to my problems. Please help sharing your experience.

My baby is latching well and so strong that my nipples were so swallen and my breasts feel tired after feed. She usually takes at least 1 hr per feed (20 min each side, thereafter I switch the breast until she has enough). The feeding session sometimes goes up to 2 hours non stop and she is still fussy at the end of it. I have no choice but to give her formula (2 oz each tme) and she is still sucking it very actively. After taking formula, she seems very happy. I now supplement formula to her around 4 oz per day (usually around noon time and before bed time). I try to limit the amount of formula intake, but it seems that I may not be able to limit it in the near future.

Can I now conclude that my milk supply is not enough and just give up with bf? I will be very upset, but I would do so if it keeps my baby happy.

:bawling:
 
Dear Chosun,

It sounds from what you?ve written that your latch could be improved. An improved latch would help the baby drink more milk and also your nipples wouldn?t feel so tired.

I recommend getting specialist help in a face-to-face meeting from either a La Leche League Leader or a lactation consultant. Please feel free to contact me on 2548-7636 or LLLHK@hotmail. I am one of the La Leche League Leaders in Hong Kong.

As well as the latch there are two techniques which will help your baby take more milk at the breast. The first is breast compression, http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/15.html
And the second is supplementing with a lactation aid rather than a bottle, http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/5.html

In our LLL library we have a copy of Dr. Jack Newman?s DVD, Visual Guide to Breastfeeding, http://www.drjacknewman.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=28. I think it can be very helpful to actually see these techniques demonstrated visually rather than just reading the instructions.

The web sites below explain how to wean a baby from supplements.
Weaning from Supplements Instructions, http://www.kellymom.com/store/handouts/concerns/wean-supplements.pdf
and Weaning from Supplements Log, http://www.kellymom.com/store/freehandouts/wean-supplements-log-sample.pdf

Best wishes,
SARAH
 
We also have a meeting in Discovery Bay on Monday morning. So this could be a good time for me to help you as I will be traveling across to DB that day.

The meeting is on Monday 19th June from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon at 11D, Bay View, Midvale Village, Discovery Bay. All our meeting details are listed at http://www.lalecheleague.org/HongKong.html

All babies and toddlers are welcome at our meetings.

Best wishes,
SARAH
 
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i had a similar problem during the 1st 2 months. i finally realized that i had a lot of plugged ducts, so no matter how much baby sucks, she wasn't getting enough milk. so i got help from one lactation consultant, who despite a lot of effort, didn't resolve my problem. then i found mrs. chee, who helped me cleared my breasts. baby was then gaining weight well. she also taught me how to express & store milk, and how to feed baby. i highly recommend mrs chee to those who have breastfeeding problems. mrs. chee 94176366
 
Yes, I had the same problem. Baby was sucking very well, latching on perfectly, sucking one hour at a time, and it looked as if my milk was oozing out, only problem was that baby was not gaining weight, which means that he probably wasn't getting all that much from my breast. I was very disheartened, and was going to give up breastfeeding. I then called Mrs. Chee who cleared away a lot of the blockage for me. Then baby started putting on weight incredibly (birth weight 3.1kg, 7weeks at 5.2kg). I am now pumping out my breast milk, and I can get around 32oz a day, baby intake around 29oz a day (He is one extremely hungry baby). I still have to see Mrs. Chee occasionally as there are still some blockage, she is extremely nice and helpful, and very very busy :-) Highly recommended!
 
one more thing. mrs chee is alwsya working, so her cell phone is always forwarded to her voicemail. so do leave a message, let her know if it's urgent, she'll squeeze you in her schedule (although she tends to be late a lot).

good luck!

(i sorta thinks that every mom has enough milk for their baby, it's just that we don't knwo how to fix the problems. cos our mothers can't teach us what to do)
 
Thanks for all replies. Unfortunately I am out of HK until mid July. Perhaps I have the blockage problem too. I think latching is OK as the nurses teached me and looked at how my daughther latched when we stayed in hospital after delivery for 7 days. I know your guys say every mother has enough milk for thier babe but perhaps I am not an unlucky one.
 
Dear Chosun,

How is your baby’s weight gain?
I’m looking for an average of 6 oz (170 grams) in a week. So if she puts on 8 ozs one week it is fine to put on 4 ozs the next and vice-versa.

How many wet nappies does she have in 24 hours?
I’m looking for at least 6 wet nappies in 24 hours.

How many dirty nappies is she having?
After about six weeks some babies continue to have two or more stools a day and others store them up and have one less often. (I’ve seen healthy babies who only stool once every 10 to 14 days.)

If your baby is gaining weight and having the wet nappies then it doesn’t matter how long and often she is feeding – you do have enough milk.

If however, she isn’t gaining well or not having the wet nappies then try to get help.

If you are not able to visit either a lactation consultant or a LLL leader and get help face-to-face then I suggest that you get hold of Dr. Jack Newman’s DVD Visual Guide to Breastfeeding.
http://www.drjacknewman.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=28
or
http://www.ibreastfeeding.com/shop/product_info.php/cPath/3/products_id/154
There may be other places that you can buy it too.

This DVD gives clear instructions of how to supplement a baby at the breast with a lactation aid. This will really help your milk supply much better than giving supplements in a bottle.

Did you manage to keep a log of your breastfeeding and supplements on the Weaning from Supplements Log at http://www.kellymom.com/store/freehandouts/wean-supplements-log-sample.pdf?
If you send me the information I may be able to help via e-mail if there is no face-to-face help available. Please contact me at [email protected]

Best wishes,
SARAH
 
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Hi Chosun,
I had the same problem as you. I spent nearly a whole day with baby breastfeeding and never seemed satisfied. So I expressed milk to see how much I had. After expressing each breast I only had 2floz, when baby was drinking 3floz so no wonder she was hungry. I was in tears and felt really useless as a mum when I realised I didn't have enough milk for her. However that feeling didn't last long as she was so happy bening supplemented with powdered milk and so was her daddy as he got to feed her aswell.

You have spent 6weeks breastfeeding, which is more than most and is a wonderful start for your baby. Don't be too hard on yourself.
 
Please remember that the amount of milk you can get out by pumping or express is NOT the amount of milk you have. It is only the amount you could get out.

When you breastfeed many things come together to help the baby get more milk. First your hormone levels are much higher when you breastfeed. The hormone oxytocin is the hormone which makes the muscles around your milk producing glands squeeze and shoot milk into the ducts. So the more oxytocin the more milk in the ducts.

Next when the baby sucks at the breast he both uses suction (like the pump) and uses a milking action (like hand expressing) but because he is using both at the same time he gets more milk then you can.

I have known mothers who have never been able to express any milk but their babies have grown well and put on weight.

The other thing to remember about breastfeeding is BREAST CAPACITY. Breast capacity is the amount of milk you can hold in breast at any one time. Individual differences in breast capacity have been found to greatly affect feeding patterns. Babies whose mothers can store more milk may take longer feedings and breastfeed fewer times per day. Babies whose mothers have smaller breast capacity get plenty of milk but need to feed more times per day to stay happy and keep up their mother?s supply.

Remember if a baby drinks 5 ozs 6 times a day he gets the same amount of milk as if he drinks 2.5 ozs 12 times a day. And both mothers are making about 30 ozs each day.

The only way to see if your baby is getting enough is to look at the baby not the feeding patterns.

Best wishes,
SARAH
 
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